For me part of the writing process is ‘the itch’ I get as an idea grows from a vague concept to a near obsession returning to my thoughts again and again like guilt. As I wind down the process of my current work in progress and begin the search for publishers and agents, the horror film section of the writing process, I find quite faster than normal this time my mind is already mining the next novel.

The core idea was generated last year when it was one of a few I submitted to my then editor for consideration as a follow to my novel Vulcan’s Forge not a sequel just the next book by me. He wasn’t thrilled with the ending and frankly at the time the idea hadn’t become all-consuming for me either, so I set it aside to work on the manuscript now nearing completion.

In that time the behind-the-scenes processor apparently kept working on the concept, finding the genre it really belonged to, and supplying me with a character to drive that had conflicting wants and needs that cemented the story dark ending.

So, my little vacation from writing looks to be ending sooner than I expected and a new outline is about to be born.